Just recently, Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima spoke with the Japanese magazine Famitsu, and commented on the origins of the Mario & Sonic series, as well as Sonic joining Super Smash Bros. Brawl. But Yuji Naka also said that he wishes to give another presentation to Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuka about a potential Mario & Sonic action game. See the quote below.
“Actually, I wanted Mario [and Sonic] to appear together, so one time I went to give Miyamoto-san a presentation on how I want to create an action game which is co-starred by Mario and Sonic. It was in the GameCube days, and I took around four planners with me. It is a pity that the discussion was ‘clearly it isn’t necessary for Mario and Sonic to co-star in an action [game]’ and it didn’t become a reality, but SEGA was able to get the license for the Olympics just at that time, so in order to make the best use of the license, companion characters appeared together. A little later Sonic appeared in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. However, this too came into reality because I requested from Sakurai-san, ‘I want Sonic to appear [in Smash Bros.]’. The Olympics is a bit different from my wish, but I think it’s a good thing that children around the world are happy about them co-starring. But someday I want to realize an action [game] together with Mario. I think I’m going to give another presentation so that Takashi [Iizuka] finds the necessity [of a Mario & Sonic action game] (laughs).
Naoto Ohshima also added:
“I also agree. Previously they were considered rivals, but when I saw them co-starring, I honestly thought that Nintendo acknowledged Sonic.”
It should be noted that neither are at Sega any longer, and haven’t been in many years. Naoto Ohshima left in 1999 to form Artoon and later made a successor company where he still is today called Arzest (who just recently worked on Mario & Sonic tat he Rio 2016 Olympic Games for 3DS). Yuji Naka left a whole decade ago in 2006 to form Prope, where he still is today.
It’s up to Sega (and Nintendo) on whether or not this project ever gets made. Who knows what the future holds!
Via Famitsu and Nintendo Everything for the translation.
Basically proof that one man who used to work at SEGA knows a heck of a lot better than every exec running it now. Well played, Mr Naka.
But as said, the idea of a proper Mario and Sonic game rests on SEGA and Nintendo. Now Nintendo, with their recent crossovers like Paper Jam and Smash Bros, they’re probably very much up to it. But SEGA…yeah, it ain’t happening. Hell, the first Olympics game sold more than Sonic 2. And as long as that remains true, SEGA will keep pumping these hollow little things out for profit and profit alone. It’s…kind of sickening, to be honest.
I do wonder though; how does Naka feel about how SEGA’s treating Sonic? I trust he isn’t happy about the bandages, at the very least.
Naka had said back then that he wasn’t interested in creating another Sonic game. Maybe it was too much stress for him, maybe he wanted to explore other ideas, I don’t know.
FINALLY! I’m sick of those rinse and repeat generic Olympic games! After two games of an unchanged roster (London and Sochi) and Rio making us think they were adding new characters to the roster, they crossed the line by making them guest characters, only playable in certain events.
Iizuka better not make the fool’s move and pass this up. Same goes for Sonic Mania on the 3DS (or any Nintendo platform for that matter).
Well we already know that Sega will accept it umm think more about Nintendo its a greater chance that Nintendo won’t accept it
well i dont like the idea because its going to be a game that isnt serious more like a party .
Sonic and Mario cant mix together in a meaningful ways as both characters are radically different from each other .
party games like the olympics do make sense because its not supposed to capture the essence of each character or express how that universe work .
mario is better alone and Sonic is better alone, also a side note i have waited 2 years and something months to get a sonic game on PS4 or any sony system so i dont want to miss a main game in the future lol .
i hope sega can solidify and expand their 3rd party publishing power to reach ubisoft or EA level so as a rule they should capitalize on every single system like Sony and nintendo .
Yes, exactly! Finally! 🙂
That’s cool and all but I’m sure that’s just wishful thinking at the moment; let’s first address the elephant in the room for a moment:
Sonic Lost World was a failed pitch to Nintendo for a Sonic & Mario platform crossover game.
Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look at the clues:
-Sonic Lost World departed from the Boost formula to opt for a “new” formula with run button, no acceleration, cylindrical level design and fixed gravity to the cylindrical sections, this basically feels like an excellent Sonic mod for Mario Galaxy.
-They changed the usual type of stages like cities, ruins, Eggman bases, space leves, or something new entirely for more generic worlds like desert, beach, snow, sky, lava, etc., those are very common themes for Mario stages since Super Mario Bros. 3, not to mention several other aesthetics of the game look inspired from Mario games like the “hub world”, the bonus stages, the lava stage being the final stage, even Zavok grows in size in the second phase of his final battle similar to Bowser.
-The art style of the game seems downgraded for Sonic standards, the stages are way simpler than ever without much detail or creativity, the same goes for the design of the Deadly Six, I feel they don’t fit with the style and world of Sonic (maybe except for Zeena), maybe the Deadly Six started off as a common treat Mario and Sonic had to face in this crossover and so their design was meant to fit a middle ground between both universes.
-Sonic Team said they have been working on Project 2017 before Sonic Lost World, considering Lost World was a failed pitch at Nintendo to make an action crossover game Sonic Team probably didn’t want the time and effort go to waste and they decided finish said game as a Sonic game only and release it.
This is just my humble theory and I’m well aware Iizuka said they wanted to cater Mario fans with this game but this is just too much in my opinion, I could believe that from Sonic Colors but this basically feels like a tribute to Mario, not to mention that if Nintendo REALLY wanted to make a Mario & Sonic platform crossover game they wouldn’t have an excuse now since Sega already provided the middle ground with Lost World unless of course that was the pitch and Nintendo being their usual pompous selves refused to lend Mario to another company for something greater than a mini-game collection.
Mario and Sonic can still have a platformer adventure crossover game. They just can’t repeat the sins of Sonic Lost World.
I agree but I doubt Nintendo will let it happen, for starters I don’t think they would like to “waste” resources in a crossover instead of the new Mario and I don’t think they would allow Sega to make a platform game with Mario, remember this is the same company that didn’t allow Mario to properly appear in Wreck-it-Ralph for fear that they would get it wrong.
They just Mario nearly mute and in 2.5D.
Waste of potential…..
All the good (and obvious) ideas are harbored by those not within the company at present it would seem.
Glad to see how much passion these two still hold for Sonic today, they’ve really shown it a lot this year.
Personally, as much as I really do think the Olympic games have been fun rides, I feel they should have stopped after (being generous here) Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. I enjoy the games fine enough, but I truly think they should go with Mr. Naka’s idea here.
Something tells me even if this comes to be reality one day, it would only be exclusive to the Nintendo console.
I don’t see Mario being in a game that’s on multiple platforms!
Well that’s kind of a no-brainer.
I do think if we were to get the game that Naka wants, I feel like it’d work similar to Sonic Generations. Especially if they were to -hypothetically- release it on Wii U & 3DS.
In the Wii U version, Sonic would play like he does in Unleashed/Colours/Generations, while Mario would play like in the New Super Mario Bros series.
As for the 3DS version, Sonic would play like in Colours/Generations, while Mario would play like in Super Mario 3D Land.
Of course, if they make if for the NX, you’d take the best of what I just suggested.
YES! Please Mr. Naka and Mr. Ohshima, convince Iizuka to make this happen! This is what fans have been waiting for for years, ever since Sonic started competing with Mario for the limelight. This could hold so many possibilities, I really hope they allow this to happen, especially since this would make such a great contribution from two of the men that made Sonic so cool and great in the first place.
Would love an idea like that.
No thanks, we don’t need any more Mario anything in Sonic whatsoever after the Olympic titles and the abomination that was Lost World.
I’ve been waiting for a Mario and Sonic action game for years. Make it already!
If they do make one, how would it work? I don’t want just a simple crossover, I want something huge where the unexpected happens!
Luigi, Tails, Donkey Kong, Knuckles, Link, NiGHTS, Samus, Shou Amabane (Burning Rangers)?
Well, duh…
That’s what the fanbase has been begging for forever. I’m sorry, but Mario & Sonic at the Olympics was a cool idea… ONCE. But I think the idea is boring and drawn out.
We need something new and fresh!
We want to see Mario and Sonic on an adventure! No more fun and games! Let’s see some action!
I’m willing to especially Sonic Mania is actually a great Sonic game thinks to the gameplay footage trailer by Sega at Sonic The Hedgehog 25th Anniversary House Of The Blues event on San Diego I was so shocked by it & finally Sonic Mania is on next gen consoles Xbox One PS4! We been dieing for years & years then PC as always is a best powerful thing in our unverse man I cannot wait Sonic Project 2017, on Xbox One PS4 PC also NX to is excellent idea meanwhile Nintendo taking a break to create Mario games on NX revealing soon of the future letting Sonic project 2017 on NX goes fourth to take action Next Generation Sonic game 2017 so glad it’s on NX!